This invention relates to small buildings, and more particularly to ceilings for small buildings assembled from prefabricated components.
Prefabricated components of a modular nature are available for erecting small buildings in relatively short time and without the need for expensive skilled labor, and these components usually take the form of wall panels that will connect together side-by-side. Indeed, some panels merely pivot relative to each other and snap together which makes the erection of the building walls extremely quick and simple (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,555). The roofs and ceilings currently used on such buildings do not, however, lend themselves to the same efficiencies.
The typical roof of a small building having walls constructed from modular wall components includes conventional steel decking which is laid on the upper ends of the walls to span the opening between opposite walls. This in itself is time consuming because the steel decking is available only in very narrow strips which must be cut to the correct length, lifted to the top of the building, and fitted to adjacent strips. If the building is to be used outdoors, an additional roof structure is usually installed over the decking. Once the steel decking is in place, a dropped ceiling is hung from it. This involves installing the usual hangers and suspending a grid from them. Acoustic panels are then fitted to most of the grid openings, while flush-type lighting fixtures are normally installed in a few. Thus, the installation of the ceiling requires almost as much time as the installation of the roof. Furthermore, the drop ceiling reduces the effective height of the working space for the building, and makes the building seem more confining than it actually is.